3 men burned in Santa Cruz hash lab explosion still in critical condition

SANTA CRUZ -- Three men who were burned Sunday in an drug lab explosion that destroyed a garage on Beach Hill remain in critical condition at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, Santa Cruz police said Thursday.

The men have burns on 60 to 70 percent of their body and there is concern about damage to their lungs, Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Steve Clark said.

"When you have a fire flash over you, what's the first thing you do, you kind of breath in," he said.

The explosion was reported around 1:30 p.m. at 707 Third Ave. Windows were blown out of the garage and several other butane tanks in the garage created additional explosions, Clark said.

The blast caused an estimated $100,000 in damages, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.

The men, who were flown to Valley Medical Center, are in a medically induced coma, Clark said. A criminal investigation is underway and there is a possibility of prosecution, Clark said.

Should any of the men die, the investigation could turn into a homicide investigation.

"Our hope is that they do recover from their injuries," Clark said. "We hope for the best for them but there is that responsibility component that comes into play as well."

The 23-year-old and 25-year-old victim, who lived at the home, and the 23-year-old victim, who lived on the Westside, were extracting tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, from marijuana plants using butane, police said.

The product, known as hash oil or "honey oil," is a concentrated drug that is smoked, Clark said.

The explosion was triggered when butane apparently escaped a container and was ignited by a pilot light of a water heater in the garage, police said.

Based on evidence at the scene, the men had been producing the hash oil for quite some time, but it isn't clear for how long, Clark said.